Music at Barden

Intent 

The music curriculum promotes curiosity and a love and thirst for learning. It is ambitious and empowers our pupils to become independent and resilient, and to grow an appreciation of music.

We want to equip pupils with ambition beyond the minimum statutory requirements of the music National Curriculum and prepare them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life. The curriculum is  planned with the intention of ensuring that all pupils - including those with SEND – have an opportunity to engage  and achieve success. The music curriculum is focused upon the development of technical, constructive and expressive knowledge and skills. It is progressively sequenced to ensure that pupils’ knowledge of performance, composition and musical quality are built over time and ready them for their next steps in learning.   Disciplinary knowledge such as musical composition is taught through substantive contexts and is developed across each phase in school. Through their critical engagement, pupils learn the discipline of the subject and apply their knowledge and skills to think and work as a musician. The teaching of a spiral progression of inter-related musical dimensions such as, pulse, rhythm, pitch support the pupils in both musical appraisal and how composers create a multi-layered piece of music.

Implementation 

We effectively develop and invest in our teaching staff to ensure that they are fully equipped with expert subject knowledge in order to support the delivery of the exceptional music curriculum. Teaching is highly effective for all pupils. Teachers present the curriculum content clearly supported by Charanga scheme of work, which break the unit knowledge, concepts and skills down for each lesson in each year group.

The curriculum is delivered through a subject-specific approach, which supports pupils to develop the key concepts and knowledge of the music curriculum. Each lesson within a unit of work is carefully crafted and builds upon what has been previously taught from one year to the next.

Frequent audits of the music curriculum take place. Following the findings from these audits, the music curriculum is adapted to build upon the learning opportunities and assessment end points for each year group and ensures progression and repetition in terms of embedding key learning, knowledge and skills.  The way music is taught follows a specific and consistent structure.

Pupils explore and practice the knowledge, skills and techniques involved in the unit and discuss their observations of different genres of music. They have an opportunity to discuss the musical elements of the pieces and learn how to perform a piece of music using an instrument. They then use these elements to inspire their own composition.

 

Music subject specific characteristics, underpin all work in music and form a focal point for display areas and provide a common subject specific vocabulary for staff and pupils. These characteristics are:

The teaching of the music curriculum is planned and delivered to support pupils to transfer key knowledge into their long-term memory and therefore improve the progress they make. Essential vocabulary is identified within each lesson and unit of work to ensure that our pupils can discuss and analyse the music content effectively.

Whilst delivering the curriculum, teachers are constantly checking to ensure that pupils are learning the necessary knowledge and identifying and addressing misunderstandings. Assessment is used as a tool to support pupil learning.

The music curriculum is research evidence informed in relation to the content, delivery and process of learning.

 

Impact

We use both formative and summative assessment information in music. Assessment informs learning to ensure that all pupils including disadvantage and those with SEND achieve highly and acquire the knowledge and cultural capital they need to succeed in life. This helps us provide the best possible support for all of our pupils. The end points for each phase have been carefully mapped out and further broken down. This means that the essential knowledge, skills and concepts in music are progressive and build year on year. Our well-constructed curriculum in music leads to pupils’ successful learning. This is evidenced in the outcomes within class books and display work produced. Pupils are well prepared for the next steps and stages of their learning due to the progressive and well-sequenced curriculum. As a result, pupils make excellent progress they know more and remember more as they move through the music curriculum at Barden Primary School.

 

  Scheme of Work

The scheme of work that we use to support the teaching of music is called Charanga. It provides a range of music from different cultural backgrounds. The scheme supports all the requirements of the national curriculum in England and is in line with published Ofsted guidance. This is supplemented by the teachers’ lesson ideas, and runs alongside other opportunities for musical creativity and expression such as school/class performances, cross-curricular lessons and extra-curricular musical activities. KS2 children have the opportunity to take part in the largest school choir in the world- young voices.

Curriculum Overview 2023-24

Year Group Knowledge Skills & Vocabulary

KS1

KS2

Our Key Music Concepts

Parent Help/Links                  

These websites are a great resource to support you in engaging in music learning at home.

• KS1 Music BBC Bitesize

• KS2 Music BBC Bitesize

• BBC- Bring the noise